Council outlines advisory panel process for former MOCA, celebrates $300K in neighborhood arts grants
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Summary
Director of Cultural Affairs Emily Labose proposed forming a mayoral advisory panel to recommend uses for the city‑owned former MOCA at 2200 Parks Ave, emphasizing community‑centered cultural uses and transparency; Labose also reported the city has awarded 74 arts grants totaling more than $300,000 and will fund creative‑neighborhood projects across all districts.
Director of Cultural Affairs Emily Labose asked the City Council to approve a structured advisory process for the city‑owned arts facility at 2200 Parks Avenue (the former Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art).
Labose said the panel would be advisory, bring together arts and civic leaders, and recommend culturally focused, budget‑conscious uses for the building while maintaining transparency and broad community input. "The panel's role would be to look at potential uses that support cultural, community, tourism, or related municipal needs while focusing on options that are as budget neutral as possible," Labose told council.
Council members from multiple districts broadly supported preserving the site for public and cultural use, and they asked staff to return with a recommended panel structure and membership framework in 60–90 days. Members discussed whether to reissue an RFP later in the process and emphasized the need to protect the building while a longer process unfolds.
In a separate arts funding update, Labose reported the city’s decision in July 2024 to dedicate part of the admission tax to cultural investment has yielded measurable neighborhood impacts: in under two years the city awarded 74 grants with more than $300,000 invested in neighborhood projects across 13 neighborhoods and supported more than 60 local artists. She said the individual artist grants cap at $4,500 and the creative‑neighborhood grants cap at $10,000.
Grant recipients described murals, pump‑track art, school collaborations and other neighborhood activations that increased participation and paid local artists for materials and labor. Council members emphasized the need to ensure outreach across all districts so the building and grant programs benefit residents citywide.
Labose said staff would prepare facilitator procurement and a membership recommendation for the mayor's panel and return to council with specifics on timeline and next steps.